13. Corn King. Familiarity with using a world atlas (reading latitude bands, identifying countries, etc.)

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1 13. Corn King Overview Every year thousands of acres of land are planted with corn, which provides food for people and animals all around the world. However, corn cannot be grown in all areas of the world. Use the maps and information provided to analyze the distribution of corn production in Minnesota, the United States and the world. While analyzing these maps, look for the patterns that exist regarding production, any connection that exists between environmental conditions and corn production as well as any changes that have occurred in the production of corn over the past 50 years. Grade Levels: 9 12 Time: Four to five 50 minute sessions Minnesota State Standards: Geography GRADE 9 Benchmark: Create tables, graphs, charts, diagrams and various kinds of maps including symbol, dot and choropleth maps to depict the geographic implications of current world events or to solve geographic problems. Benchmark: Make inferences and draw conclusions about the physical and human characteristics of places based on maps and other geographic representations and geospatial technologies. Benchmark: Identify the primary factors influencing the regional pattern of economic activities in the United States and the world. Benchmark: Describe patterns of production and consumption of agricultural commodities that are traded among nations. Benchmark: Analyze the interconnectedness of the environment and human activities (including the use of technology) and the impact of one upon the other Key words native vegetation, landforms, precipitation, frost-free days, analyze, conclusions, distribution, choropleth map, range/class, climate, soil Prior Knowledge Familiarity with using a world atlas (reading latitude bands, identifying countries, etc.) Objectives To understand how crops are influenced by environmental conditions. To understand how farmers decisions are influenced by environmental conditions, politics and technology To compare map topics and map locations. To locate regions by common characteristics. To summarize the relationship between one topic (e.g., corn production) and several explanatory variables (e.g., precipitation, native vegetation). To interpret and use maps at different scales (e.g., Minnesota and world). To create maps from agricultural data. 58

2 Materials Food for Thought Maps found at Wheat in MN Counties (2012) (Map 2) Corn for Grain in MN Counties (2012) (Map 4) MN Native Vegetation (Map 34) Landforms of MN (Map 35) MN Annual Precipitation (Map 36) MN Annual Frost Free Days (Map 37) Minnesota Counties (named) (Map 41) Minnesota Counties (unnamed) Map 42) Food for Thought Color Student Desk Map, one for each student (Order this free resource at state.mn.us/fft) Handout 1: A-Maizing Corn Handout 2: U.S. Corn Production by State, 2012 Handout 3: Corn Around the World World Atlas, one per pair of students Colored Pencils Lesson Links for additional resources at Outline map of the United States (with state boundaries) Corn A Golden Treasure Procedure Part 1: Minnesota 1. Ask students to hypothesize where corn is grown in Minnesota and share their answers with a partner. Have each pair share their answers with the class and while the students are sharing their answers, the teacher will mark on the board which areas of Minnesota that students think corn is grown in (north, south, east, west, etc.) 2. Provide each student with a copy of Handout 1, A-Maizing Corn, to read and gather information about corn from. 3. Provide each student with a copy of the Minnesota Counties map (named) (Map 41) and the Corn for Grain (2012) (Map 4) (Note: Teachers may also display the digital copies of these maps using their SMARTBOARD and projector.) Have the students, on their blank counties map of Minnesota, shade in the counties where the highest corn percentage category (43% or above) is found. 4. Provide each student with copies of the following maps: Native Vegetation (Map 34), Landforms (Map 35), Annual Precipitation (Map 36), and Frost Free Days (Map 37). Have the students, individually or in pairs, analyze these maps to determine the types of characteristics (native vegetation, landforms, precipitation, frost free-days) of agricultural regions that will support corn production. Have the students share their analysis with other pairs and with the rest of the class. The students should write down their analysis on the back of their Minnesota counties map. (Answers: Landforms some slope, but mostly rolling hills to moderate slopes; Native Vegetation mostly prairie; Precipitation over 25 inches; Frost Free Days at least 170 days) 5. Show the students the Corn for Grain (2012) (Map 4) on the SMARTBOARD. In pairs, have the students analyze the Food for Thought Color Student Desk Map (colored corn map) and Map 4 to draw conclusions about the distribution of corn production in Minnesota. Have each student write a paragraph, on the back of their Minnesota counties map, in which they describe the best places to be a corn farmer in Minnesota and explain why. Remind the students that while they are writing this paragraph they should be referring to the information on the maps they were provided with and use information on their maps to support their statements. Important: Explain to the students that they should be focusing on the areas rich in corn production (i.e. southern Minnesota) and not specific counties. 59

3 6. Provide students with a copy of the Wheat (2012) (Map 2). Have the students analyze this map along with the maps they already have on Native Vegetation (Map 34), Landforms (Map 35), Annual Precipitation (Map 36), and Frost Free Days (Map 37). In pairs, have the students analyze the maps and compare the wheat region of Minnesota with the corn region. Ask the students to answer the following questions: (Teachers may provide the students with these questions in a written format or display them in a PowerPoint on the SmartBoard.) a. How are the environments different among these two regions in terms of precipitation and frost free days? b. What do you notice about native vegetation for the corn and wheat regions? (Answer: Environmental conditions are very important factors in a farmer s decision about what crop to plant. For example, Minnesota farmers plant wheat in drier, cooler regions than corn. Both corn and wheat grow in what formerly was prairie. Corn needs more moisture and sunlight/heat units than wheat.) 7. Provide each student with copies of the following maps and handout: Corn for Grain (2007) (Map 3), Corn for Grain (2012) (Map 4), Minnesota Counties (named) (Map 41), the Food For Thought Color Student Desk Map, and the handout, Corn A Golden Treasure available at Lesson 13 Lesson Links at Have the students work individually or in pairs to analyze these maps and complete the following tasks: a. On a separate piece of paper, have the students list the counties that show a change in corn as a percentage of farmland from 2007 to b. Based on your analysis of the maps, has there been an increase or decrease in the percentage of farmland used for the production of corn? Explain your answer. c. Are there counties that grew corn in 2012 that did not grow corn in 2007? Which counties are they? d. If the corn region is growing in Minnesota, identify the cardinal direction the corn region is moving? Based on your analysis of the maps provided, are there differences in the physical environment, rainfall, and frost free days in these new regions where corn is being grown? e. Using the data from the maps, the handout that lists the uses of corn, and the reading about corn, have students list factors that have contributed to the growth in corn production in Minnesota. f. Based on their analysis of the maps provided, students are to individually write a paragraph in which they share their analysis regarding the corn production in Minnesota and include at least three specific pieces of information from the maps to support their statements regarding the production of corn in Minnesota and whether it is increasing or decreasing. (Possible reasons: increased uses of corn in a variety of products, increased use of corn as a source of fuel-ethanol, increased return on farm investment (price per bushel), improved hybrid products which will grow in shorter growing seasons, and irrigation.) Assessment 1. Students should be evaluated on the accuracy of the maps they created and their discussion of the information provided by the maps. Students should also be assessed on their analysis of the maps and their ability to support their statements regarding the growth of corn production in Minnesota using information gathered from the maps and resources provided. Part 2: Making a Choropleth Map of United States Corn Production Background: Corn is the most frequently grown crop in the United States; it represents a vital part of the agriculture economy. Part Two will teach students how to make a choropleth map about corn production so they can analyze the impact this activity has on the United States and its individual member states. Note: Depending on the students skill level, consider reviewing the concept of choropleth mapping, how to make a choropleth, selecting classes and ranges and its importance for representing data. (See Lesson 2.) 1. Provide students with the United States outline map. Ask students to speculate which states may grow the most corn. The students should be able to do this based on their work in Part One of this lesson. If students are struggling to identify states that might grow corn, prompt them to identify states that are large in size and may have more agricultural land available. Also, ask students to recall the characteristics of good corn farmland that they learned in Part One of this lesson. 2. Provide students with the U.S. Corn Production Table, 2012 (Handout 2). Have the students analyze the information presented in the chart. What assumptions can they make regarding corn production by examining the data presented in the chart? Can students identify the large and/or small producers of corn? 60

4 3. Discuss with the students how they can interpret the data provided in the chart and on maps to answer questions about corn production. Remind the students that maps provide a visual representation of information, making data easier to understand. Also, by identifying regions and analyzing their content, maps can be used to organize information in a meaningful way. 4. The students will construct their own choropleth map to represent corn production for the United States using the data provided in the U.S. Corn Production Table, Students will complete this map on the blank United States outline map they were given. a. First, students must rank the states according to their corn production as indicated on the table. Note: There is no data for Hawaii, Alaska, or Washington D.C. Ask students why there is no data provided for these places. b. Next, students must examine the data and determine the classification to be used for determining the categories to be used on the map. For this assignment, students may select from the following four classifications of information: 1) corn planted, 2) corn harvested, 3) yield per acre, and 4) total production in bushels. Students may select natural breaks in the data to determine their categories or they may have five equal groups (categories) comprised of nine to ten states. c. Students may then create their choropleth map by using the United States outline map. Each range/ class (category) will be colored differently. Color selection is based on the values they will represent. Once again, emphasize that darker shades of the same color always indicate greater values while lighter shades indicate lesser values. Categories are distinguished from one another using different colors or different shades of the same color. These colors also indicate which values are greater in comparison to other values. Example of color selections for this map: largest producers of corn (purple), second largest producers (red), third largest producers (orange), small producers (yellow), and smallest producers (white). Reminder: All maps should contain a title, key, source, and author. 5. After the students have completed their maps, students are to analyze their maps and draw conclusions from the data. Have the students discussion the following questions with a partner and as a class: a. What conclusions can be reached from the data regarding corn production? b. Which areas/regions of the United States are growing the most corn? The least? c. Are there any regional trends apparent in the growth of corn in the United States? d. Are there environmental characteristics that influence the location of these regions? (Students may need to refer to their maps from Part One or the world atlas to help them answer this question.) e. What does this information mean for each state? What impact does corn production have on the economy of these states? Assessment 1. Students should be evaluated on the accuracy of their maps and their discussion of the information provided in both the data and the maps the students created. Students can also be asked to do a writing assignment based on the conclusions they drew from their maps and data. Part 3: World 1. Ask students to hypothesize where corn is grown in the world. 2. Pair students and give each pair a world atlas and a copy of Handout Three: Corn Around the World. Review the instructions on the chart with the students. Have the students complete the chart utilizing information provided in the world atlas. (Hint: To save time, ask half of the student pairs to complete the precipitation and natural vegetation columns and the other half to complete the climate and soils columns. All pairs should complete the latitude column. Once the student pairs have completed their assigned columns, have them share the information they collected with another pair of students who collected information on the other columns. Have both pairs of students share their data with each other.) 3. After the students have completed # 2, have a class discussion regarding the data they collected. Ask the students to describe the environmental conditions of the corn regions around the world. While students are providing answers to this questions, the teacher will display a blank outline map of the world on the SmartBoard and outline each area/region as reported by the students. Be sure to use a different color pen for each category/ column on Handout Three discussed. After students have shared their information and the regions of corn production have been identified on the map, ask the students to answer the following questions: 61

5 a. At what latitude bands does corn grow? (Answer: Latitude Bands and 45-55) b. What precipitation ranges occur where corn grows? (Answer: Precipitation Ranges - mainly in ranges and inches) c. Is corn more likely to grow in grass regions or needle leaf evergreen regions? (Answer: Vegetation - grass or combination grass and broad leaf evergreen, and broad leaf deciduous) 4. Have the students compare the map of the United States they created in Part 2 with the map of the world they created in Part 3. Ask the students to analyze the maps and draw conclusions regarding the production of corn in the United States and the world. a. What similarities do they see in regards to the regions where corn is produced? What explanations do you have for these similarities? Be sure to use information from your maps and the other resources provided to support your answer. b. What differences do they see in regards to the regions where corn is produced? What explanations do you have for these differences? Be sure to use information from your maps and the other resources provided to support your answer. Assessment 1. Students should be evaluated on the accuracy of their maps and their discussion of their analysis of their maps. Students can also be assessed on their comparison of the maps created in Part Two and Part Three to draw conclusions regarding the production of corn. Extensions 1. Have students map the corn production data using different categories for their classifications (i.e., equal groups vs. natural breaks). Once they have completed this new map, have them compare it to the previous map they created in Part Two. Students should discuss if their maps are different and explain how and why they are different. 2. Have students compare maps made of the four different data sets (in a gallery walk) and check to see if there are any differences in the spatial presentation/distribution of corn production. Have the students analyze the how and why of these differences. 3. View the ethanol clip from the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom free DVD, Biofuels as Renewable Energy. It may also be viewed directly from the following website: While viewing the film, have students create a T-chart to examine the positive role of ethanol in our state and also any negative consequences of ethanol as a fuel. A few things they might consider are: cost, land use, production effects, auto mileage, National Energy Act/energy policies, and auto emissions. 4. Have students read the article by the Renewable Fuels Association on How Ethanol is Made? and the article History of Minnesota s Ethanol Program by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Based on the information provided in these articles and other information the students have gathered, have the students discuss the following questions: What types of fuels power cars, trucks, school buses, and other vehicles? How do we produce and obtain fuels for transportation? What is ethanol? How is corn converted into fuel? How is ethanol delivered to consumers? What are FFVs (Flexible Fuel Vehicles)? What is quality control and why is it important in energy production? What are the benefits and costs of ethanol fuels? How does ethanol compare to petroleum gasoline? 5. Provide students with a copy of Corn A Golden Treasure. Have students make a list of all the things they have at home that are made from corn or corn by-products, or use corn in their production. Have students compete for the largest number of items they can find. 6. Have students read the document World of Corn: Unlimited Possibilities by the National Corn Growers Association found at and assign pairs of students to read different aspects of the article, summarize it and share their summaries with their classmates. The different aspects of the article the pairs of students are to read and summarize are as follows: products produced from one bushel of corn, changes in historical corn performance ( ), corn production vs. corn consumption, corn exports and imports (U.S. and World) and corn consumption food/feed. Have a class discussion of the information presented by the students in regards to the impact corn has on the economies of countries around the world. 62

6 Handout One A-MAIZING CORN! Introduction The Corn Belt is a group of states where most of the corn in the United States is produced. Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota produce 50% of all the corn grown in the U.S. Other major corn growing states include Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, South Dakota, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, and Ohio. These 12 states make up the Corn Belt. Corn is the major feed grain grown by farmers in the U.S., leading all other crops in value and volume of production. Corn is a major component in foods like cereals, peanut butter, and snack foods. An ear of corn has an average of 16 rows with 800 kernels. A pound of corn consists of approximately 1300 kernels. An acre (about the size of a football field) of corn, yielding 100 bushels, produces approximately 7,280,000 kernels. Most of the weight of a bushel of corn is the starch, oil, protein, and fiber, with some natural moisture. Farmers grow corn on every continent of the world except Antarctica. Hybrid varieties of corn have been developed to adapt to specific growing conditions and locations worldwide. Hybrids are the offspring produced by breeding plants of different varieties. One hundred years ago, starch was basically the only product resulting from corn refining and the rest of the kernel was thrown away. Today, there are uses for every part of the kernel even the water in which it is processed. The corn seed (kernel) is composed of four main parts: the endosperm, the pericarp, the germ, and the tip cap. The endosperm is most of the dry weight of the kernel. It is also the source of energy for the seed. The pericarp is the hard, outer coat that protects the kernel both before and after planting. The germ is the living part of the corn kernel. The germ contains genetic information, vitamins, and minerals that the kernel needs to grow. The tip cap is where the kernel was attached to the cob. Corn can be made into fuel, abrasives, solvents, charcoal, animal feed, bedding for animals, insulation, adhesives, and more. The kernel is used as oil, bran, starch, glutamates, animal feed, and solvents. The silk is combined with other parts of the corn plant to be used as part of animal feed, silage, and fuels. Husks are made into dolls and used as filling materials. The stalk is used to make paper, wallboard, silage, syrup, and rayon (artificial silk). Brief History of Corn Since ancient times, corn has played an integral role in human history. Corn is a grass, native to the Americas. The exact origin of the grain remains unknown, but tiny ears of corn have been discovered at ancient village sites and in tombs of early Native Americans. Evidence of corn in central Mexico suggests it was used there as long as 7,000 years ago, where it was domesticated from wild grass. Cultivated corn is known to have existed in the southwestern U.S. for at least 3,000 years. To the Aztecs and the Incas, corn was a staple of their diet that provided flour and vegetable dishes for their meals. Here in the United States, many of the various Native American tribes have traditionally grown corn also known as maize and used it for both food and utilitarian purposes. Corn was so important to some Pueblo tribes of the Southwest that it was considered one of the three sacred foods (along with beans and squash), so sacred that some groups even worshiped it. Indeed, Native American mythology is rich with stories involving corn and important religious events. Many eastern tribes shared their knowledge of corn production with the early European settlers, an act which saved many pioneers from starvation. 63

7 Uses of Corn Along with wheat and rice, corn is one of the world s major grain crops. It is the largest grain crop grown in the U.S. Corn has been used as a foodstuff for humans. Corn has found its way into a wide variety of American foods. These foods include corn kernels, corn meal, and other food products such as: cooking oils, margarine, and corn syrups and sweeteners (fructose), to name a few. Corn is also an excellent source of carbohydrates. Corn cobs have been used as a soft-grit abrasive and to provide furfural, a liquid required in the manufacturing of nylon fibers. Corn has been used as a source for producing degradable plastics. Additionally, ethanol (a type of renewable fuel made from corn) has become a major fuel for the world s automotive industry. From foods of the past to fuels of the future, this highly diverse crop has played a major role in human civilization. Corn Development and Growth As miraculous as the many uses for corn may be, the way corn develops and grows is equally fascinating. A single seed (or kernel) of corn may produce a plant which yields more than 600 kernels of corn per ear. To understand the vast amount of seed produced by corn plants, consider the following example: A single kernel can produce a plant that will contain at least 600 kernels per ear. On one acre of land, anywhere from 22,000 to 35,000 individual plants may be grown. If each plant produces at least one ear of corn the yield will be 13,000,000 (thirteen million) kernels of corn from that single acre. (In general, hybrid corn is developed to produce from one to two ears per plant.) A 400-acre farm would then yield over five billion kernels from its production. In addition, consider that U.S. corn yields have increased 125 percent since Environmental Conditions Temperature The best temperatures for corn growth range between 68 F and 73 F. However, the optimum temperature varies over the corn growing season and between daytime and nighttime. Corn yield may vary if the temperatures are too hot or too cold. Late in the season, a long exposure of corn to temperatures below 28 F can damage corn. Corn yield may also be reduced due to high air temperatures (95 F and higher) during pollination. Precipitation Highest corn yields can only be obtained under optimum moisture conditions during the growing season. Moisture stress at any of the growth stages will result in potential yield reduction. Corn has generally high water requirements and generally needs more than 19 inches of rainfall in a growing season. The amount of water needed can also vary by length of the growing season, and by the temperature. Higher temperatures require more water. Growing Season Most corn needs 140 frost free days to germinate and grow through maturity and harvest. Hybrids have been developed to shorten this to as few as 120 days. Source Michigan Dept. of Agriculture: gov/ mda/0,1607, _2971_ ,00.html 64

8 Handout Two U.S. Corn Production by State, 2012 Source: USDA, NASS, Crop Production 2012 Summary, Published January 2013 State Acres Planted (1,000s) Harvested for Grain (1,000s) Average Yield (Bushels/acre) Total Production (1,000's of bushels) Alabama ,910 Arizona ,240 Arkansas ,710 California ,300 Colorado 1,420 1, ,330 Connecticut 27 N/A N/A N/A Delaware ,030 Florida ,480 Georgia ,800 Idaho ,650 Illinois 12,800 12, ,286,250 Indiana 6,250 6, ,970 Iowa 14,200 13, ,876,900 Kansas 4,700 3, ,200 Kentucky 1,650 1, ,040 Louisiana ,690 Maine 30 N/A N/A N/A Maryland ,070 Massachusetts 16 N/A N/A N/A Michigan 2,650 2, ,870 Minnesota 8,750 8, ,374,450 Mississippi ,175 Missouri 3,600 3, ,500 Montana ,600 Nebraska 10,000 9, ,292,200 Nevada 8 N/A N/A N/A New Hampshire 14 N/A N/A N/A New Jersey ,148 New Mexico ,310 New York 1, ,120 North Carolina ,940 North Dakota 3,600 3, ,120 Ohio 3,900 3, ,950 Oklahoma ,450 Oregon ,920 Pennsylvania 1,460 1, ,000 Rhode Island 1 N/A N/A N/A South Carolina ,820 South Dakota 6,150 5, ,300 Tennessee 1, ,600 Texas 1,850 1, ,500 Utah ,678 Vermont 91 N/A N/A N/A Virginia ,050 Washington ,725 West Virginia ,480 Wisconsin 4,350 3, ,300 Wyoming ,520 Total U.S. 97,155 87, ,780,296 65

9 Handout Three Corn Around the World Directions: Use a World Atlas. Find thematic maps to show corn or maize production, climate, precipitation, natural vegetation and soils. Describe the latitude regions of corn production for each continent. Also describe the vegetation, soils, temperature/climate and precipitation of the world places where corn is grown. (If there is not a specific corn map, look for a map of agricultural products.) CONTINENT 1. North America (including Central America) COUNTRIES WHERE CORN IS GROWN LATITUDE BAND CLIMATE ANNUAL PRECIPITATION RANGE NATURAL VEGETATION SOILS 2. South America 3. Europe 4. Africa 5. Asia (East and South Asia 66